Improvement in breech-loading ordnance



D. T. YEAKEL.

Breech-Loading Ordnance.

Patented Feb 11, 1862 NVEETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D cof a gun,

UNiTED STATES DAVID T. YEAKEL, OF

LAFAYETTE, 1 Ni )IA NA IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING ORHDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3 1,388,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID T. YEAKEubf Lafayette, county of Tippecanoe, in the State .of Indiana, have invented anew and improved mode of constructing breech-loading cannon so as to obviate derangement of the several parts thereof by the expansion of the metals from rapid firing; and I do hereby declar'e that the following is a full and exact description of said invention.

The gun is composed of these several parts, to wit: a tube or barrel, a breech-cap hinged to a. shaft or arm, which is made to revolve upon the breech of four,or moremale screw-threads cut upon its exterior surface, to correspond withv female 'sci'ewm rr'eads' eaten inside of the brecch cap. These screw-threads are out upon the tube and cap and are carried around less than one circumference. Whenthe cap is adjusted to the end of the tube and screwed on, a perfect gas-tight-frictionjoint is made between the inside surface of cap and end of tube, and is retained in that position by a self-adjusting .raehet-bar and spring. The bore of the tube at the breechend is made a little larger, as at .f, to receive a metal powder-canister, and is countersunk to receive a corresponding projection, K, of the cap, made to fit accurately against the rear portion of powder-canister, withan additional metal protuberance in its center to prick or open said powder-charge by penetrating an opening in its center while the-cap is being screwed on, as will be made plainer by reference to the accompanying drawing. 4

The nature of my invention consists of a new. and useful method of securing, adjusting, and operating a breech screw-cap on the end by which I greatly facilitate the op-. eration of loading and firing the same. For this purpose, instead of one thread, I propose to start two, four, or as many as may be deemed necessary atequal distances from each other on the outside circumference of the breech, and to continue them around for a distance of less than one circumference. This method of applying the screw as a fastening 'fbr the breech of cannon insures the greatest facility of closing and opening with perfect security; but its greatest value is in the 'fact that in this form and by this method it becomes themeans of adjusting the expanded surfaces of cap and tub powder discharge. metals has been the greatest difiiculty in the way of serviceable breech-loading cannon, and has not been in any way obviated or overcome by either Mr. Armstrong or Mr. Whitworth in their guns, which are acknowledged the best of this form of gun. In their guns the screw, as the power used in fastening, is either made to act in the bore itself or between bore and outer circumference, where it soon becomes so hot as to be useless, by expansion. These gentlemen have further committed the unscientific error of using a metal which ex have thereby increased their difficulty; but by placing the serew-iastening-upon the largest and coolest part of breech, consequently the strongest and least affected or last to be heated portion of breech, and adjusting the breech cap exactly to the rear end of tube, it will matter but little how much these parts expand, inasmuch as the How loosely, will adjust the heated surfaeesafter each discharge. The scrcwsas illustrated in drawing are of rapid gain. The screw used for power in the lilting -jack buildings, &c.is a very gradual gain-say a gain of thrce-eighths of an inch 111 seveneighths of a revolution on a diameter ofone and three-eighths inch. Now, the gain or increase of this very gradual form of screw is entirely applicable for fastening of breech-cap, and could not be moved a particle by concussive explosion of powder-charge; but an ascertained medium, while it would be free from danger of movement from rapid firing, might be deemed preferable by its embracing more surface of the breech of gun, the object of selfadjusting ratchet-bar being only to secure the breech-cap against possible displacement from jars and shock ing it while loaded over rough ground.

L is a stop secured near the breech of the gun, which the shaft D comes in contact with the moment th breech-screw thus preventing any further revolution of the hoop e. This stop entering a recess or rabbet on. the lower side of the shaft l), w pen said shaft reaches it the hoop is e before and after each This expansion of the pands most in the most exposed situation, and

screw on the outside, made to for elevating great weights-as s communicated to gun in move screw-cap is released from the reventedfromslippingforward,andthescrewcap is kept in position to be readily moved by means of its handle and the hinged joint, and.

. presented to'the screw on the breech of the gun and quickly run up.

I am awarebreech-loading cannon havebeen made with caps to screwon the outside of the breech, ThisI donotdesire, broadly, to claim;

but vin theconstruction of mine I greatly prefer using two or more threads, as described. 

